This decadent Vegan Chocolate Tart has a walnut and pecan crust and a dark chocolate ganache filling. Don't be intimidated; this vegan dessert looks fancy, but it's actually easy to make. Not only is this perfect for holidays, dinner parties, and date nights, but it's also versatile and oil-free!
Many years ago, a friend shared a chocolate tart recipe with me and that was the inspiration for this Vegan Chocolate Tart. Not only did I replace the butter with dates to make it a little healthier, but I simplified the steps and made a few other alterations. The result is this insanely easy but gorgeous dessert that everyone will love!
One thing I like about this vegan tart is how versatile it is. It has a walnut and pecan crust with a dark chocolate ganache filling, but you can change up the decorations and toppings to get all sorts of delicious flavor combinations. Or you can just eat it plain because, chocolate.
No matter how you decide to serve it, this vegan dessert is a real show-stopper. I've never failed to get a round of oohing and ahhing when I bring this to a party. And yet it's so simple to make! You don't have to be a trained pastry chef to impress everyone!
This easy chocolate tart is perfect for holidays, dinner parties, potlucks, date nights, and more. But it's also kid-friendly (even my picky eater approves!). I hope you love it as much as my taste-testers and I do!
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You'll love this Vegan Chocolate Tart recipe because it's:
- Quick & Easy
- Vegan / Vegetarian
- Dairy-free
- Kid-friendly
- Gluten-Free
- Oil-free
- Perfect for Dinner Parties & Holidays
- Rich & Delicious
What kind of chocolate should I use?
I recommend using a brand Vegan Dark Chocolate that has a flavor you like. The flavor of the chocolate will be the dominant flavor of this dessert. I used one that is 60% Cocoa. You could go a little darker, if you like, just keep in mind that there is no sugar added to the chocolate ganache filling.
What kind of tart pan should I use?
Use a tart pan that is 8 or 9 inches (22cm). Ideally, your tart pan should have a removable bottom that pops up. This will make it easier to remove the tart from the pan.
If you don't have a tart pan, you can still make this dish. I would line a pie pan or 8x8-inch cake pan with baking paper with the sides of the paper overlapping the pan so that the tart can be removed after it sets. You'll definitely get a more rustic-looking tart, but it would work.
Can this be WFPB?
To be truly Whole-Foods Plant-Based it would need to be free from refined sugar. Most store-bought chocolate contains some sugar. There are a few brands that sell dark chocolate without any sugar, but they can be quite bitter. If you decide to use that you might want to reduce the amount of chocolate to 10oz and add in 2 to 4 tablespoons of maple syrup.
Can this be nut-free?
To make this nut-free you would need to substitute the walnuts and pecans with sunflower seeds or maybe a mixture of sunflower seeds and rolled oats. Or you could make an entirely different tart crust, like this one, which has no nuts.
Ingredients
Walnut & Pecan Crust
- walnuts & pecans: I like the combination of flavors here, but you could just use one or the other if you don't have both.
- pitted dates: I use medjool dates. If your dates are on the harder side, you might want to soak them first. The most important thing is that you make sure there are NO PITS, otherwise you could ruin your food processor blade.
- maple syrup
- salt
Chocolate Ganache Filling
- vegan dark chocolate: I used 60% cocoa vegan baking chocolate. You can use whatever percentage you like. Bars, chips, and even chocolate flakes will work.
- soy milk or oat milk: I tried it with both and liked the oat milk a tad more. Any type of plant-milk should work.
- cornstarch or arrowroot powder
Optional Toppings
These are the toppings I used in the photos, but feel free to switch things up however you like.
- raspberries
- blueberries
- pistachios
- freeze-dried raspberry flakes
- Himalayan salt
*See recipe card for quantities.
Variations
Once you have this basic chocolate tart recipe down, the sky is the limit on how many variations you can make. Here are a few ideas:
- Mexican Chocoalte Tart: Just add a teaspoon of cinnamon and a ½ or ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper to the chocolate mix.
- Milk Chocolate Tart: Swap out your favorite vegan milk chocolate for the dark chocoalte.
- Raspberry Chocolate Tart: Add ¼ cup dehydrated raspberries flakes to the chocolate mixture before pouring it into the crust. Decorate the top of the top by placing fresh raspberries in concentric rings, starting with a single raspberry at the center.
- Chocolate Cranberry Tart: For a special Thanksgiving or Christmas twist, try topping with a drizzle of fresh cranberry sauce.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F or 190C.
- Add the pecans and walnuts to a food processer and blend until you can a rough sand-like texture (about 15 to 30 seconds).
- Add the pitted dates to the food processor. I like to give each date a quick squeeze before I add it in JUST IN CASE a stray pit was forgotten (it happens). Then blend for 30 to 60 seconds until the dates are broken down enough that the crust *almost* holds together.
- Add the salt and maple syrup the date mixture. Blend for about 10 to 15 seconds, until combined. The crust should now be somewhat wet and able to easily hold together.
- Transfer the crust to the tart pan. Use your fingers to press the crust flat across the bottom of the pan, bringing it up the sides. Press any cracks flat.
- Bake the tart for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.
- While the crust is cooling, melt the chocolate in a double boiler. (To create a double boiler, bring a few inches of water to a simmer in a medium pot. Place a heat-safe bowl on the pot. The water should not touch the bowl.) (Alternatively, you could melt the chocolate in the microwave.)
- When all of the chocolate has melted, remove the bowl from the heat. Add the Vegan milk and cornstarch to the chocolate and whisk to combine. (You need to do this right away or the chocolate will start to harden again.)
- When the chocolate mixture is smooth and fully combined, pour the chocolate into the cooled tart crust.
- Place the tart in the refrigerator and cool for at least 2 hours before serving. You can decorate the top right before serving. (Alternatively, if you want the fruit or toppings to stick into the chocolate more, remove the tart after 1 hour, decorate, and then return to the refrigerator for another hour).
Troubleshooting
- Why didn't my crust hold together? If your crust didn't hold together you probably didn't blend the dates long enough. See the photos above for the correct textures.
How to serve
You can decorate your chocolate tart however you like. Some of my favorite toppings include berries and nuts (I used raspberries, blueberries, and pistachios here). You can also sprinkle with Pink Himalayan salt or freeze-dried berry flakes.
Top with a berry sauce, vegan caramel sauce, and or vegan whipped cream. You can easily make vegan whipped cream at home with canned coconut cream or aquafaba.
This chocolate tart is perfect for serving during the holidays or at dinner parties. It would make an ideal end to a romantic date night or Valentine's Day dinner.
Can I make it ahead?
Definitely! This is a great make-ahead dish since it needs to cool for at least 2 hours. If you are transporting this chocolate tart to another location, you can wait to decorate the top until you get there.
How to store
- Store in the refrigerator, covered for up to 5 days.
Related recipes
📖 Recipe
Vegan Chocolate Tart (Easy + Oil-free!)
Equipment
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup walnuts
- 1 cup pecans
- 1 cup pitted dates
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon salt
Chocolate Filling
- 12 oz vegan dark chocolate
- 1 cup soy milk or oat milk
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot powder
Optional Toppings
- raspberries
- blueberries
- pistachios
- freeze-dried raspberry flakes
- Himalayan salt
Instructions
Make the Crust
- Preheat the oven to 375F or 190C.
- Add the pecans and walnuts to a food processer and blend until you can a rough sand-like texture (about 15 to 30 seconds).
- Add the pitted dates to the food processor. (Make sure there are no pits!) Then blend for 30 to 60 seconds until the dates are broken down enough that the crust *almost* holds together.
- Add the salt and maple syrup to the date mixture. Blend for about 10 to 15 seconds, until combined. The crust should now be somewhat wet and able to easily hold together.
- Transfer the crust to the tart pan. Use your fingers to press the crust flat across the bottom of the pan, bringing it up the sides. Press any cracks flat.
- Bake the tart for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.
Make the Chocolate Filling
- While the crust is cooling, melt the chocolate in a double boiler. (To create a double boiler, bring a few inches of water to a simmer in a medium pot. Place a heat-safe bowl on the pot. The water should not touch the bowl.)
- When all of the chocolate has melted, remove the bowl from the heat. Add the Vegan milk and cornstarch to the chocolate and whisk to combine. (You need to do this right away or the chocolate will start to harden again.)
- When the chocolate mixture is smooth and fully combined, pour the chocolate into the cooled tart crust.
- Place the tart in the refrigerator and cool for at least 2 hours before serving. Decorate and serve right away or save for later.
Notes
- All of the toppings are optional. The toppings listed are the ones I used in the photos, but you can use whatever you like. See more ideas above in the blog post under "How to Serve."
- Use an 8 or 9-inch tart pan (22cm).
- Use any kind of dark vegan chocolate you like (I used 60% cocoa), but keep in mind that there is no added sugar in the filling, so whatever chocolate you use should be sweet enough as is. You can use baking chocolate, chocolate bars, chocolate chips, or whatever you have.
Nutrition
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Jessica
I'm so excited to have this recipe for my party menus. This tart is even more than I hoped for. I'm diabetic and have to be careful with my sugar intake and I didn't miss the extra sugar one bit with this. It's perfectly sweetened with the dates and maple syrup. Add the berries and it's heavenly. I can't wait to try the Mexican variation.
Julianne Lynch
Thanks! I'm so glad you liked it.
Margot
I've served this dessert many times to Vegans and non-vegans alike and it is universally loved! One friend even asked if I could make it for her 60th birthday party. I make 1-1/2 times the recipe for the crust (any extra crust gets made into cookies and goes into the oven with the tart...also yummy!)
Julianne Lynch
Sounds perfect! I love the idea of using some of the extra crust to make cookies!